Symbolic Representation of Nataraj

The sculpture of the Nataraja is symbolic of Shiva as the Lord of dance and dramatic arts with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on ars. Tamil devotional texts such as the Tirumurai (the twelve books of Southern Shaivism) state that Nataraja is the form of Shiva in which he performs his functions of creations ,destructions ,preservation and is also attributed with Maya and the act of blessing his devotees. Thus, Nataraja is considered one of the highest forms of Shiva in Tamil Nadu, and the sculpture or the bronze idol of Nataraja is worshipped and almost all Shiva temples across Tamil Nadu. It typically shows ,Saiiva dancing in one of the Natya Shastras poses, holding various symbols which vary with historic period and region ,trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf (Apasmara or Muyalaka) who symbolizes spiritual. Ancient Tamil songs during the Bhakti Movement written by the four Shaivite saints of Sambandar Appar, Manikkavacakar and Sundarar, popularly known as ‘Nalvar’ (The four)extol Nataraja and describes the Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram as the home of Nataraja as the main deity, dating Nataraja worship way before the 7thcentury CE. Around the 8th to 10th century, statues emerged in Tamil Nadu in its mature and best known expression in Chola bronzes of various heights typically less than four feet, some over. Nataraja reliefs have been found in many parts of South East Asia such as Angkor Wat and in Bali Cambodia and Central Asia.

The dance of Nataraja is revealed in a story mentioned in the Koyil Puranam. The symbolism has been interpreted in classical Indian Shaiva Siddhanta texts such as Unmai Vilakkam, Mummani Kovai, Tirukuttu Darshana and Tiruvatavurar Puranam, dating from the 12th century CE (Chola Empire )and later and include:

He dances within a circular or cylindrically closed arch of flames (Prabha Mandala) which systematically represent the cosmic fire that in Hindu cosmology creates everything and consumes everything, in cyclic existence or cycle of life. The fire also represents the evils, dangers, heat, warmth, light and joys of daily life. The arch of fire emerges from two makara (mythical water beasts) on each end. He looks calm, even through the continuous chain of creation and destruction that maintains the universe ,that shows the supreme tranquility of the Atma. His legs are bent, which suggests an energetic dance. His long, matted tresses, are shown to be loose and flying out in thin strands during the dance, spread into a fan behind his head, because of the wildness and ecstasy of the dance. On his right side, meshed and with one of the flying strands of his hair near his forehead, is typically the river Ganges personified as a goddess, from the Hindu mythology where the danger of a mighty river is creatively ted to a calm river for the regeneration of life. His headdress often features a human skull (symbol of mortality), a crescent moon and a flower identified as that of the entheogenic plant Datura metel. Four armed are most typical ,but ten armed forms are also found from various places and periods, for example The Badami Caves and Ankor Wat. The upper right hand holds a small drum shaped like an hourglass that is called a Damaru in Sanskrit .A specific hand gesture (Mudra) called Damaru Hasta (Sanskrit for ‘damaru’ hand) is used to hold the drum .

It symbolizes rhythm of creation and time. The upper left hand contains Agni or fire, which signifies destruction. A cobra uncoils from his lower right forearm, while his hand is in the Abbhaya Mudra gesture as a sign to not fear. The lower left hand is bent downwards at the wrist with the palm facing inwards, we also note that his arm crosses Nataraja’s chest, concealing his heart from view, it represents Tirodhana, which means ‘occlusion, concealment’.

The face shows two eyes plus a slightly open third on the forehead, which symbolizes the triune in Shaivism. The eyes represent the sun, the moon and the third has been interpreted as the inner eye, or symbol of knowledge (jnana), urging the viewer to seek the inner wisdom ,self realization .The three eyes alternatively symbolize an equilibrium of the three Gunas: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The dwarf underneath his foot is the demon Apasmara Purusha or Muyalaka, who symbolizes ignorance which Nataraja destroys. The slightly smiling face of Shiva represents his calmness despite being immersed in the contrasting forces of universe and his energetic dance. Padma Kaimal questions some of these interpretations by referring to a 10th century text and Nataraja icons, suggesting that the Nataraja statue may have symbolized different things to different people or in different contexts such as Shiva being the Lord of cremation or as an emblem of Chola Dynasty.

In contrast, Shrada Srinivasan questions the link to Chola, and has presented archaeological evidences suggesting that Nataraja bronzes and dancing Shiva artwork in South India was a Pallava innovation, tracing back to 7th to 9th centuries and its symbolism should be pushed back by a few centuries. The word Nataraja is Sanskrit term, from ‘Nata’ meaning act, drama, dance’ and Raja meaning ‘King, lord’,it can be roughly translated as Lord of the dance or King of

the dance.

According to Ananda Coomaraswamy, the name is related to Shiva’s fame as the ‘Lord of Dancers’ or ‘King of Actors’. The form is known as Nataraja and as Nartesvara (also written Nateshwar) or Nrityesvara, with all three terms meaning ‘Lord of the dance’. However Nataraja and Nateshvara represents different forms of Shiva.The sculpture is symbolic of Shiva as the Lord of dance and dramatic arts, with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on arts. The two most common forms of Shiva’s dances are the Lashya (the gentle form of dance ) associated with the creation of the world, and the Ananda Tandava (dance of bliss, the vigorous form of dance), associated with the destruction of weary worldviews –weary perspectives and lifestyles.

In essence,the Lashya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva’s nature, for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again. The historic Nataraja artworks found in different parts of India are set in geometric patterns and along symmetric lines, particularly the Satkona Mandala (hexagram) that in the Indian tradition means the interdependence and fusion of masculine and feminine principles.It typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the Natya Shastra poses, holding Agni (fire) in his left back hand, the front hand in Gaja Hasta (elephant hand) or Danda Hasta (stick hand) mudra, the front right hand with a wrapped snake that is in Abbhaya (fear not) mudra while pointing to a Sutra text, and the back hand holding a musical instrument ,usually a Udukai (Tamil). His body, fingers, ankles, neck, face, head, earlobes and dresses are shown decorated with symbolic items which varies with historic period and region. He is surrounded by a ring of flames, standing on a lotus pedestal, lifting his left leg (or in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing /trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf (Apasmara or Muyalaka) who symbolizes spiritual ignorance.

The dynamism of the energetic dance is depicted with the whirling hair which spread out in thin strands as a fan behind his head. The details in the Nataraja artwork have been variously interpreted by Indian scholars since the 12th century for its symbolic meaning and theological essence. Nataraja is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbolic of Indian culture, in used as a symbol of India Culture, in particular as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art.